Scanialara You won't be disappointed!

Curapedi I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Nayan Gough A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

tavm Just watched this on disc 1 of The Harold Lloyd Comedy Collection: Vol. 2 which I ordered from Netflix. In summary, it's such a funny but also suspenseful and thrilling movie to watch that I not only laughed loudly at several places but also gasped in others when it looked like Harold might get hurt really bad. He's the youngest in his family which also includes his sheriff father and his two older burly brothers. When a medicine show arrives, a couple of the men in charge there take advantage of Harold's personality to get a license while his father is elsewhere. It's also in that show that a girl named Mary (Jobyna Ralston, her last as his leading lady) resides and he falls for her hard. I'll stop there and just say that I not only highly enjoyed the movie but also the commentary on it afterwards by his grandkids Suzanne and Annette and Rich Correll. And the music by Carl Davis was also perfectly scored for this version. So on that note, The Kid Brother comes highly recommended.

Boba_Fett1138 People purely seem to praise this movie for its comedy but if you start comparing the humor in this movie to other genre movies from the same period you must admit that this movie isn't among the best. However the movie does deserve all the praise for its sweet and great written story and its creativity, which is the reason why this movie is a '20's comedy must-see.This movie doesn't really distinct itself with its humor or timing but it does so through its solidly written comical story.I wasn't all taken by the movie its comedy. The timing and the slapstick elements aren't the best example of the particular time period and also most certainly so wasn't the directing, that was even below average in parts. There was lots of running and jumping but quite frankly it didn't all made really much sense at times. I prefer a Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton or Laurel & Hardy movie over this everyday. Thank goodness that in the end the movie still turns into a great and fun slapstick. Of course in between the movie also features some great, creative and fun moments.The story is just great and solid. Something that really wasn't common for '20's comedies. It's a sweet story that knows to create a balance between the silly humor and the romantic aspects of the movie. It are the romantic aspects that really makes this a sweet and irresistible movie to watch.I liked it, though for other reasons than its comedy.8/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

rdjeffers Monday May 21, 7:00pm, The Paramount TheaterProduced in what collectively became the greatest year of the silent era, Harold Lloyd considered The Kid Brother (1927) to be lacking sufficient action and humor. In reality, his tenth of eleven silent features was the synthesis of all his acquired talents. It was Lloyd's greatest success in blending his trademark gags with well-developed characters, and a thoughtful, engaging story. The story of an introspective and bullied younger son who surprises everyone with his true strength, suggests numerous popular sources, including, Hal Roach produced The White Sheep (1924), Henry King's Tol'able David (1921), and to some degree even Cinderella. Young Harold Hickory lives in a motherless home with his father, the town sheriff, and two terrorizing older brothers. The bucolic country setting recalls Grandma's Boy (1922), but is far more beautifully realized. To survive the dominance of his larger and stronger brothers, a multitude of gags cleverly demonstrate Harold's mental superiority over them as the films greatest source of humor. When a travelling medicine show rolls into town, Harold and Mary (Jobyna Ralston in her final appearance with Lloyd), the pretty daughter of the deceased owner, share an instant attraction, and a fear of the two thugs who have taken over the show. Constantine Romanoff as the murderous strong man is nearly as frightening in this comedy as the villain of Tolerable David, Ernest Torrance. Harold's hometown rival Hank Hooper (Ralph Yearsley, who also starred in Tol'able David) is larger, stronger, appropriately oafish, and the perfect foil for several amusing confrontations. Hiding aboard an abandoned ship in the final reel, Harold puts a pair of shoes on the medicine show monkey to draw the strong man away. The monkey waddles up the stairs and on deck, with the strong man in pursuit. The Kid Brother is a seamless, well-balanced combination of humor, romance and peril. It is atypically coordinated Lloyd. The pleasantly sentimental story is complimented by excellent casting and production design. What Lloyd saw as insufficient humor was actually a lighter treatment, increasingly reliant and more fully demonstrating his acting abilities (something many comics lacked) in what is without question his best work.

jens-the-picasso-kuestner *SPOILER* This delightful silent comedy with Harold as the kid brother in an all-male family is both moving and entertaining and what is more, very funny!Unlike his two brothers the fragile Harold is not the 'chip off the old block' and therefore regarded as a wimp by his family, the "Hickorys". But he turns out to be very shrewd and smarter than his whole family. In a stunning and breath-taking finale he prevails over a tough con-man and finally is able to make himself respected for his father (Jim, the sheriff). From what I can tell this is Lloyd's all-time best hence his ambitious "glassed character" has fully developed and is absolutely convincing. In contrast to his former "Lonesome Luke"- a rather rough and harddriving character the new bespectacled Harold, now being a believable human being, is charming and extremely hilarious. You cannot refrain yourself from laughing out loud when Harold disguises himself as his father to kid his narrow-minded brothers. Although the feature includes many individually hilarious scenes Lloyd artfully interwoves a thread of pathos, as well. Amazingly romantic scenes are always combined with great gags: Harold falls in love with bitter-sweet Jobyna Ralston (and you probably will, too because that beautiful girl has zing!)and climbs a tree towards the top in order to watch his beloved disappearing. Being lost in thought Harold who is enchanted by the girl's grace finally falls off the tree. Describing sight gags is a lost art hence you are not capable of pointing out the extent of wit and creativity of a certain idea- therefore I better throw in the towel and you should start watching Lloyd's top-notch gags. While one is touched by Harold's romantic love story the real treat is watching the potent and stunning finale which never takes a breath. Incredibly Lloyd is able to provide countless belly-laugh scenes as well as impressing the audience with genuine and deeply moving sentiment. His feature has just about everything one could ask for in a comedy: It is funny, exciting and even romantic. The astonishing carrer of Lloyd represents Hollywood's ideal. He developed a craft and- in my opinion- perfected the art of silent comedies. "Comedy can be manufactured, as television has proved but great comic personalities cannot"- Leonard Maltin. Lloyd's film is unique because Lloyd is unique. Sympathetic that I am to movie buffs who adore comedies of the fifties, sixties, etc. I nevertheless cannot help feeling that early silent comedies are the richest comedies in the cinema's history- worse still they have become mediums of a neglected art. Regarding "The Kid Brother" it is safe to say that this masterpiece with its brightest moments shines like a comic perfection that will glow forever. Let us keep alive his films for generations to come hence he deserves being honored.